“Rostec” Reveals Key Trend in Counter-UAS Defense in 2026

Russia’s “Rostec” State Corporation has revealed the key trend in combating the threat posed by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in 2026.

Polygonjournal reports, citing “Rostec”, that Natalya Kotlyar, an expert at the “Roselectronics” holding company within the corporation, spoke about the issue at the “Arctic – Regions” forum.

She stated that the main focus is the creation of unified integrated networks connecting enterprises, city authorities, and security agencies. Within this framework, UAV detection and suppression systems are expected to be integrated into common situational awareness centers.

According to her, the diversity of modern UAV threats makes it impossible to rely on a single defense system: “No suppression system works against UAVs controlled via fiber-optic cables, and no radar can detect all types of drones. The answer is layered defense: passive radar, electronic warfare, kinetic defeat, and an intelligent command-and-control system.”

The expert emphasized that the nature of UAV threats is also changing, with coordinated attacks increasingly involving different groups of drones. During such attacks, some UAVs serve as decoys to divert attention, while other groups carry out the main strike.